Plenty of support as Craig Anderson backstops Senators to win

It didn’t matter whether Craig Anderson won or lost Sunday night, just showing up for them in Edmonton, with his wife back home battling cancer, meant more to his Ottawa Senators teammates than any game ever will.

Then, when their friend put aside his own pain to deliver a 37-save shutout victory over the red hot Oilers, they were all left struggling to put his courage into words.

“We couldn’t really feel the gravity until the final whistle,” said captain Erik Karlsson. “He held a strong face but you could still see the pain in his eyes. And he came in here and led by example. He didn’t say much, had the same routine, and showed what a true leader he is.

“He did a hell of a game and got us two points.”

Real life replaced hockey in a terrible way for Ottawa goaltender and his family last week when he flew back to Ottawa from their road trip to be with his wife Nicholle, who had just been diagnosed with cancer.

Then, when backup goalie Andrew Hammond got injured in Calgary, Anderson’s wife urged him to rejoin his team in Edmonton — a selfless move that struck a deep chord in all the players.

There were tears in the room after the game, red eyes all around as the Senators talked about his 2-0 victory.

“It was an emotional night for us as a team,” said Bobby Ryan. “Rightfully so, that he should be emotional at the end, because the room was as well. The way he held it for 60 minutes and got through it speaks to his character. That was the quietest I’ve ever heard a room after a win. What Andy did tonight was pretty incredible.”

Even the fans in Edmonton paid tribute to the guy who just ended their winning streak, understanding that sometimes there is more to life than hockey.

“It was tough, very tough,” said Karlsson. “We play a great game, we get paid a lot of money, but at the end of the day it’s just a sport. Life is a lot bigger than this. It makes you take a step back and realize that this is not all we do.

“It’s something we’re not used to dealing with, it’s very tough. I don’t think anyone can understand what they’re going through. All we can do is be there for him.”

The Sens shut it down for Anderson in a defensive showing that the Oilers couldn’t penetrate. No way Ottawa was going to give them anything easy.

“Pretty emotional night with everything that’s been going on with this group,” said centre Mike Hoffman. “Coming in here and facing one of the best teams in the league was a big task for us. We all wanted to play for him do everything we could. It’s a tough situation for them.

“He’s a huge part of this team and for him to come in here and stand on his head like that… we’re a family.

The team needs its starting goalie, but not as much as the wife needs her husband right now. For both of them to make this sacrifice for the Senators says a great deal about what the team means to them, and vice versa.

“Everybody is such a close knit group that when you hear news like that it shakes everybody in the room,” said centre Kyle Turris. “Anything family oriented is much bigger and more important than hockey. What Nicholle is going through, she’s a very strong and amazing person. Like Pierre (GM Dorion) said yesterday, we’ll do anything we can to help her and Craig get through this.”

“It hits home a little differently, having gone through it this summer,” he said. “It’s a shame how commonplace the word, the disease, is now. It certainly hits home for me.”

He was glad he had his teammates to help him through it, just like Anderson is now.

“Any time you’re forced in a situation like he and his family are, you need to lean on people,” said Ryan. “He’s got 20 or 25 good support units here. We’re here for him and will certainly rally around him and Nicholle. He’s a popular guy in the room and she’s a popular person in the room as well. They have all of our support.”

The Oilers extended their support before the game and Cam Talbot, the game’s second star, stayed out to applaud the game’s first.

“The NHL is a tight, tight league,” said Karlsson. “I feel like we have a lot of respect for each other, even though we go out every day and battle. We curse at each other, and we fight. We do a lot of stupid things, but at the end of the day we all have a life outside of the rink. When things like this happen you have a lot of human respect for that.”

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